Getting Started: Making Decisions on the Ground After years of wanting to improve a brush-smothered woodland, the day finally came to quit thinking about it and get started. When Dale Schmidt arrived with his equipment on January 24, the ground moisture was still high, thanks to the heavy rains we had received last fall and early winter. Our first decision was when to schedule the work. If the ground was too saturated, Dale’s skid steer would make deep ruts and compact the soil. Worse, he might even get stuck. Yet I didn’t want to postpone the date indefinitely, waiting for &ldqu... read full post »

Ten Year Anniversary: Part 1 2019 marks the tenth year we have owned our property in SW Llano County. In some sense, it seems that we have always had this place, in other ways it seems we are just getting started. In recent months I have looked over the notes and haphazard records of these years, an... read full post »

By early November, they began to appear. Since then, it seems like blooming ahead of schedule! Although I would prefer to see more grass on our place instead of ephemeral flowers, we haven't had a good wildflower season in the last 2-3 years. Late winter rains promoted cool season introduced grass... read full post »

Jack’s Paw-Paw used to say, “After a drought in Texas, there always comes a flood”. That is sure true for this October. In my last report late in September we had received over seven inches of much needed rain. Then on October 18, we had over 12 inches, which left us stranded at ... read full post »

By mid-July, the woodlands were completely still and silent, except for the occasional harsh call of a crow in flight. It was even too hot for the familiar summer background chorus of cicadas to feel like making noise. I have been silent, too, on these pages. For what is there to say about anothe... read full post »

An hour before dawn on January 31st, I waited, bundled in a lawn chair, on the front porch for the eclipse of the “ super blue blood moon” to begin. Some had called this special celestial event “the perfect trifecta” of the moon, for it happened to be both the second full mo... read full post »

We started seeing forming golden bowers for us to walk beneath. Soapberries are among the more drought tolerant of our trees. As our climate continues to warm up and dry out, will they become as prominent here as they are in places farther west? We won’t remove them for now, as oak wilt is st... read full post »

about this page...

As climate change and population growth places ever-increasing pressures on our precious natural assets, I find myself more interested in seeking the answers to questions such as:

What techniques for healing the land are most successful, and how much do they cost?

What are reasonable expectations for recovery after fire and extreme drought?

What adaptive, incremental steps are feasible for most people with ordinary skills and resources?

What are some aesthetic components of landscape design that can be embedded in restoration efforts to help people "read" the landscape, gain greater understanding of natural processes, and commit to long- term stewardship?

In a new climate reality where droughts are more frequent and wildfires a very real and present danger, will we have to change the way we go about brush clearing and planning grassland restoration?

The intention of this website is to explore these questions and share the experiences I have had on both my own property in Llano County, and on projects I have collaborated on with others. Although I won't be posting on a regular basis, I welcome comments and questions.